Lower East Side

Things to do in Lower East Side

A fashionista's dream (or just a cool stop-in), this avant-garde Chinatown boutique offers pricy goods all majoring in originality. The sparsely filled space, with white walls and clothing racks made of disused pipes, feels more like a gallery than a store of one-of-a-kind finds.

Pickle love shines at this Lower East Side destination at the corner of Essex and Grand. Proprietor Alan Kaufman devotes nine hours a day to producing remarkably fresh and snap-perfect pickles, from hot to sweet and new to fully soured.

Live entertainment is the main order of business at Bowery Electric, just a short walk from the Bowery Hotel. DJs play nightly and the bartenders serve up cocktails, wine, Scotch, bourbon, tequila, and tap and bottled beer at this muilti-level venue.

Installed at 134 Eldridge Street, near the boundary of Chinatown, a plain gray door with “134” and “M&H” in small stickers is the only indicator patrons will find that this hush-hush cocktail lounge exists.

105 Riv is inside the Hotel on Rivington, but also has an unmarked entrance down the street. Expect 105 Riv is inside the Hotel on Rivington, but also has an unmarked entrance down the street. Expect vintage 70’s interiors and impeccably made cocktails.

Searching for a place to house a museum honoring American immigrants, Ruth Abram unearthed 97 Orchard Street, a historic apartment building that was completed in 1863 and sheltered almost 7,000 immigrants over the years.

One of the best indie-rock music venues to emerge this millennium, Pianos opened quietly in 2002 in a former piano store—the club’s current owners didn’t bother to remove the sign—and since then has become an emerging band’s dream gig, thanks to the intimate setting and über-cool nabe.

This striking home for downtown's contemporary art hub—led by savvy director Lisa Phillips—made a splashy debut in December 2007, thanks to its extraordinary lopsided, six-story building designed by Japanese duo Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa from acclaimed architectural firm SANAA.